Microgram Balance

This is a milligram/microgram balance design that can be constructed with commonly available hardware store parts.

Parts required:
- 4ea utility blades (razor blades).
- 8ea #6-32 1/4" screws
- 6ea #6-32 1/2" screws
- 1ea #10 2" screw
- 1ea #10-32 locknut (or 2 #10-32 nuts)
- 1ea 1/4"-20 threaded rod, at least 18" long
- 2ea 1/4"-20 nuts
- A #6-32 tap

Once assembled, you use the screw at the top to adjust the center-of-gravity of the unit. As you dial in closer-and-closer to the center-of-gravity, the sensitivity goes up substantially. By tweaking the balance and dialing everything in, once can achieve sensitivities better than 100 micrograms (a fraction of a sesame seed).


This device can be used either as a starting point, or as a complete system for experimenting with any projects that require ultra-sensitive scales (like Quantitized Inertia)